Accidentally on Purpose
by witchblade070502
Summary: Dangerous accidents are happening all around our favourite fire-fighters and paramedics, but are they really accidents. Mostly cannon but small AU... in this fictionverse Severide is married to an OC, gonna hurt the poor boy a bit and wanted someone to worry over him. Love him as a player but not this time.
1. Chapter 1

"Get me down there Casey!" Gabriela Dawson yelled as she looked over the cliff to where their fellow firefighter and friend was tangled and seemingly impaled by the dangerously sharp limbs of a long dead tree.

"You're not trained on Rescue Squad Dawson…I wont risk it!" Matthew Casey, commanding lieutenant of Truck 81, scowled back at her while he fitted his harness and Otis, real name Brian, secured his line to the fire truck's winch. "He's yours and Shays when we get him topside!"

"You're not Squad either," Dawson fired back, "and if Severide is impaled on those branches you're gonna need me down there. I've been rock climbing half my life Casey – I've got this!"

Staring at her he nodded quickly "Suit up," He turned back to the truck! "Mills get Dawson a harness and get her hooked up now!"

Less than two minutes later Dawson and Casey had climbed over the twisted remains of the guardrail and were skillfully making their way down the rocky embankment to their injured and still immobile friend. Casey's pulse was pounding, not from exertion but from fear for his friend and a fear about what the hell had happened. One minute Kelly Severide had been at the edge of this same cliff, successfully completing the last few inches of the rescue of the ejected driver from the car accident that had called them all out here. The next minute…Casey's mind flashed again to the moment at the top where he had glanced over and saw Severide grab for purchase in the loose gravel that dusted up and followed him over the edge as he disappeared. It took mere seconds but it seemed to play infinitesimally slower in Casey's head. Kelly looked…confused..? or was it shocked? The rescue stretcher holding the driver had partially blocked Casey's view as Severide waited for the man to be pulled clear so he too could come up.

Casey paused in his descent allowing Dawson to split away from him as they neared Severide and she moved to get closer to their friends upper body. He knew she would check his vitals first before assessing his wounds. He held his breath as Dawson reached for the vein in Severide's neck.

"I've got a pulse!" she shouted, smiling briefly as a cheer erupted above them. "Severide…can you hear me?" She carefully maneuvered her self around the entangling branches to get closer to the bloody branch protruding from his jumpsuit. He did not answer her. Steadying herself against the tree so as not to jostle her patient she reached for a clasp dreading what it might reveal..

"Wait!" Casey barked. "I think his harness is compromised somehow. That jumpsuit could be all that is holding him from falling the rest of the way down this cliff.

"That and this tree," Dawson answered holding her hand back.

Casey looked up the 30 foot embankment to the top and yelled "I need a C-collar and a rescue stretcher down here now!" He looked back at Dawson who was inspecting a gash on Severide's brow that was dripping blood down his face. That explained his lack of consciousness. "Dawson can you get your hand inside the jumpsuit without opening it too much? See if you can tell me how much of that tree we have to take out of here with him!"

"Yep that's my plan," Dawson reached into her back pocket for her blue latex gloves. Snapping them on she reached to slip her hand inside her injured friends clothing guiding her hand towards the painfully sharp blood covered tree limbs that jutted out of Severide's jumpsuit.

"Cruz?" Casey hollered up the embankment.

"Yeah…" came the reply

"I want you down here with that stretcher and bring handsaws!"

"On my way!"

Casey watched as Dawson pulled her hand out of the jumpsuit and sees it covered in Severide's blood. Casey searched her face for a clue to the worst he was afraid to imagine. "It's ok… Casey, it seems to have torn a good sized laceration in his side and it's ripped right through the jumpsuit but he's not impaled… thank God!"

"Good,… good that will make getting him out of here easier for sure" Casey nodded to her. "Cruz and I will lift him into the stretcher. You get the collar on so we can keep his head immobile. Then your whole job will be to keep pressure on those wounds. Got it?" She nods at him. "How are his vitals?"

"Pulse is steady, if a little weak and his breathing is shallow and hitching. I am going to presume he's got come cracked ribs. He's got a good gash on his head too," Dawson answered.

"Where's his helmet – he had it when I saw him fall?"

"Up there," Dawson pointed and Casey looked where she was indicating to see a white climbers helmet snagged on another jutting dead branch close to 20 feet above them. When Casey looked back to Dawson she was looking at Severide's face and said "He's got a good friction burn here on his jaw he must have pulled right out his helmet, probably got caught and he was hanging by his helmet before it ripped off landing him down here."

Casey winced at the thought.

Some loose rocks showered around them as Cruz climbed down next to Casey at Severide's feet. Casey reaches into the stretcher and retrieves the C-Collar and maneuvers himself to hand it to Dawson. After she has it secured around Severide's neck Cruz moves to position himself around and past Dawson at Severide's head. Dawson opens the medical zip pouch that is attached to the stretcher and grabs out gauze pads to staunch the wounds in Severide's side. She can see Casey expertly cutting away limbs to ease the stretcher closer to their injured friend. Without words they work as a team and quickly have him transferred into the stretcher, turned and readied for the accent up the embankment.

"Keep the pressure on those wounds Dawson," Casey orders as he finishes strapping in the patient. "You're going up together"

"Got them, don't worry," Dawson replies as she steadies her feet on the embankment face and prepares to ascend with the stretcher.

"Mills!" Casey yells to the top of the embankment.

"Yes Lieutenant!"

"Stretcher is secure and ready. Start the winch together with Dawson's line, give a 5 second delay then pull me and Cruz up behind them! Watch the lines and harnesses closely too I want everybody out of here safely"

"Got it Boss!"

Casey watches as Dawson moves up the embankment and with only a few stumbles as she keeps her hand firmly in place on Severide's wounds. They disappear over the top in to the helpful arms of their fellow firefighters. Casey manages the last few feet and steps up and clear of the embankment before shrugging out of his harness. Severide's rescue stretcher has been placed onto the ambulance stretcher and Leslie Shay is adding more gauze to the blood darkened ones held in place by Dawson as the wheel him quickly to a waiting ambulance.

Shay is listening to his chest and she frowns and calls to the ambulance driver. "Let's get him out of here! Breathing is ragged and pressure is dropping. Get me to Lakeshore… now!" I've got him Dawson, you get out of your gear and follow us there! Ok?

"Yes…go! We'll be right behind you"

She helped Shay load the stretcher in place and closed the door behind her friends and banged the door to signal the driver. As the ambulance races away she turns to look for Casey. She sees him next to the ladder truck, he has shed his climbing gear and he has a part of a harness in his hand looking it over with a scowl. Suddenly Dawson hears a loud explosion and as if in slow motion she sees a section of the ladder falling towards Casey.

"Matt! Look out!


	2. Chapter 2

Gabriela started towards the truck and the explosion… and Matt at a full out run. She heard the others scrambling behind her. She watched in shocked horror as the heavy top section of the ladder bounced off the top of the truck and scissored down pinning Casey to the ground beneath it. She reached him as the dust and debris from the explosion overhead started to rain in hot sticky embers around them.

"Matt!... Holy hell!" Dawson screamed to no one in particular. Then as her wits slammed back into her addled brain she yelled to Hermann and Cruz. "He's pinned, we've got to shift this ladder off him NOW!" while she scrambled up against the truck and closer to Casey.

"We're on it Dawson!" Herman hollered back. And Hermann, Cruz and several uniformed Policemen that Dawson did not know scrambled to pry up the fallen ladder.

Dawson could hear Casey wincing and grimacing as he pushed with all the strength he could muster to move the Ladder off himself to no avail. A strong as she knew he was he could not get the right leverage to shift it and it was hurting him she could tell.

"We've got you Casey - just give us a minute ok?" Hermann said as they all heaved and shifted the ladder so Dawson could pull Casey out of harms way.

Dawson looped her arms under Casey's through his shoulders and pulled him clear of the ladder "Ok let me look at you," Dawson said a little winded from exertion and pushing him back down when he tried to rise.

"I'll live Dawson, …I need to go get Caitlyn, I promised Kelly, promised she would not be left alone…" he said lifting his head a little. "I just… I just promised him, ya know, he's like a brother to me I told him she would not be alone…"Casey said.

"Promised him when? He was out cold when we got to him and he was not really chatty before he left with Shay so…? Is Kelly psychic or something?" Dawson queried looking down at Casey while she checked his pupils.

"Na, it was a few months back, remember when Martinez sliced his hand up pretty bad at the construction fire? Casey said looking up at her as she was nodding that she remembered. "Well I guess it was a uniform that called his wife to tell her and he gave her a bit of scare. Not on purpose or anything just lack of information, miscommunication that sort of thing but…"

"Listen I know what you're saying, and I totally get it, but I saw your head bounce of that truck and you were almost crushed by that ladder Matt," she pointed over at the ladder that was now laying safely on the ground "you're going to the hospital to get checked out!"

Turning his head to the side Dawson winced as her fingers palpated the growing lump on the back of his head. "You feel dizzy? Lightheaded? Nauseous?" She passed her finger in in front of his face and had her follow it with his eyes.

"No, I'm good Dawson," Casey said frustratedly trying to rise once more.

"Do I need to get Herrman here to sit on you?" she half smiled at him. She reached over and carefully peeled up his shirt to inspect his abdomen and ribs for any crushing injuries from the ladder. He spiked a sharp intake of breath when she touched his lower right ribs. "Ok tough guy, I don't think anything is broken but you need x-rays and you are really tender by your right kidney so we need to see what's what."

I don't mean to upset you Dawson but you can't force me to go to the hospital with you… but I promise to get checked out after I get Cait there.

"Your refusing treatment?"

"Postponing – I promise"

"I am not ok with this Casey but I am not letting you drive with that bump on your head so I'll drive!" Dawson conceded and helped him stand and they dashed off to find a suitable vehicle, then they shot off I n the direction of the little cottage Kelly shared with his wife, both dreading what was to come.

Caitlyn Severide was on her tiptoes feeling along the high shelf in the closet, trying to retrieve her black gloves from where she was sure she had tossed them a few days earlier. She did not hear the car screeching too quickly into her driveway. Her fingers felt along the dark corner of the shelf, it had been quite cold last night in the park near the firehouse and she wished she'd had her gloves yesterday. She was looking forward to sharing another late dinner there with her husband tonight, next week would take her off to California again for a training conference and she was truly enjoying the hiatus from her hectic work schedule. Just then she heard a loud pounding on her door and a panicked voice she recognized shot through the small cottage.

"Caitlyn! Are you there? It's Casey!"

"Coming…" she responded as she gave up on her search, crossed out of the bedroom and over to the front door. "Hey you," she smiled opening the door to reveal her husbands closest friend. Looking at him standing there in a tight grey T-shirt and the Lower half his gear, his silver-blue eyes filled with concern as he looked at her silently. Caitlyn's heart sank. "What's wrong Casey, what's happened?" she uttered between sharp intakes of breath.

Casey stepped towards her and reached to enclose her hands in his, "Cait I…I don't want to frighten you but you need to come with me to Lakeshore Hospital. Kelly was injured on a call at an accident site earlier…" Casey paused looking at her; he wished with every fiber of his being he could take away the look of panic mixed with pain that now covered her face. Taking a hurried breath and squeezing her hands tightly he attempted to continue, "I was there and Shay is with him now.. they are taking…"

Caitlyn was unaware how frozen to the floor her feet were and she stumbled into Casey as she turned to reach for her jacket from the hook beside the door. Casey helped her right herself and with out any more words they both rushed out to the waiting S.U.V. Casey opened the rear door for her and she was surprised to see him follow in behind her until she noticed that Gabriela Dawson was behind the wheel.

"Let's go Dawson!"

Once they were speeding along the highway, Caitlyn was the first one to break the hurried silence, her voice surprisingly calm. "What happened Matt? How badly is he hurt?"

"He was on his way to the hospital when we left the accident site. He was stable and breathing on his own when Shay left with him. As for what exactly happened… I really don't know - I was right there and still can't wrap my head around it. Something is not right and I've got the guys looking into it but it looks like his harness failed"

"Failed?" she sucked in a breath, "No way! He is beyond meticulous about his equipment Matt"

"He's going to be ok. Nothing keeps him down for long you know that." Casey offered putting his hand on her lap comfortingly.

"Five minutes ago that would have been easier to believe…" her voice was shaky. Casey could feel her shaking under his fingertips in silent tremors that threatened to take over her whole body. He chided himself mentally that maybe it would have been better to keep the part about the harness to himself. Past experiences, however, had shown him that lying to your friends never helped the situation, no matter how honorable the intentions. Kelly and Caitlyn were two of his closest friends.

Dawson swung into a parking spot just outside the emergency doors; Caitlyn was out of the car, rushing into the hospital before the engine was turned off. Casey and Dawson hurried to keep up with her.

Caitlyn hurried up to the first desk she saw and questioned the  
nurse, "Can you please tell me where to find my husband, Kelly Severide?"

"Yes, Mrs. Severide he is in Trauma Three, through those doors  
and down the hall to your left." The nurse answered, briefly touching Caitlyn's hands that were clasped together tightly on the counter.

Caitlyn with Dawson and Casey in tow rushed through the doors the nurse had indicated and down the hall. Rounding the corner Caitlyn could see into the emergency room that held her husband. She could see Kelly lying motionless on the gurney surrounded by quite a lot of doctors and nurses who were working frantically to remove and cut his gear from his body. Her heart was pounding in her ears so loud she was sure everyone else could hear it and she only barely noticed Shay leaning against the emergency room doors as she tried to barrel through them. A male nurse caught hold of her and said, "I am sorry Ma'am you can not come in here!"

"That's my husband, I need to see him!" She answered, her voice bordering on the edge of hysterics.

"You can see him as soon as the doctors are finished, please you must wait out here," the nurse urged, carefully moving her aside and closing the doors again, sealing her off from her husband.

"Again!" The thought panicked through her. It's happening gain.  
She felt herself moving as if in a trance, sounds were muffled and everybody she could see around her looked to be walking and talking in slow motion. She could not make her hand obey her thoughts and reach out again for the door.

"Caitlyn," she thought heard from beside her but her head was  
spinning her chest hurt. Unintentionally she had been holding her breath. `Breathe damn it!' She instructed herself and  
sucked in a hasty breath as she felt Casey slip his arm around her waist. He guided her away from the doors.

"I need to see him… I just need to touch him, please Casey I… I cannot go through this again…" she stammered.

"I know, Caitlyn, I know, " he soothed into her hair as he led her to stand beside the window to the emergency room. He really did know how scared she was. Kelly had told him that she had lost her first husband and unborn daughter in a horrible car accident almost 7 years ago. That same accident had almost claimed her life too. "Let the doctors finish… then… you will see him… I…I… promise you."

She leaned back a little to look up at Casey's face. He seemed  
pale and his voice sounded raspy. His hand around her waist trembled slightly. She leaned in to the comfort he was giving her and placed her hand on his arm and rubbed it gently, offering her own comfort and silent thanks for his rescuing her husband and his friend. "What on earth happened?" Caitlyn asked, her voice still shaky.

"No way was it…. just a bloody accident, ….somebody's fault really…Kelly was falling and slipping… Then the tree" Casey said looking down at Caitlyn "explosion at the truck…Did not tell Gabi… had to get you to Kelly first."

He was making very little sense.

Casey?" Caitlyn questioned looking up at him again. This time his eyes were beginning to dart all over the place, he looked like he could not focus them and his breathing began to come in short gasps. His face was paler than before and beaded with  
perspiration. "Are you ok?" Caitlyn asked him.

His mouth was moving but he did not answer her. Alarmed she struggled to get her arms around his waist because he looked as though he was going to pass out on her. "Casey!" she cried, trying to snap him out of it, but his eyes were no longer focused and he started to fall towards her. "Dawson, he's falling!" Caitlyn called out in panic.

Dawson dashed to her other side but she was not fast enough. All she could hope to do was to help cushion Casey and Caitlyn's fall. Caitlyn fought hard not to topple right over back wards and instead she dropped to her knees. Then with Dawson's help she managed to twist her body from under him and they both lowered Casey the rest of the way to the floor.

"Casey, can you hear me?" Dawson called to him, grabbing his  
face to look into glazed over eyes that were fluttering closed.

"Nurse! Help somebody please," Caitlyn yelled rushing over to  
the nearby nurses' station, "We have another firefighter who needs help!" Hurriedly two nurses came over with Caitlyn to Casey who now lay motionless on the floor. Orders were yelled for someone to get a stretcher and to call an E.R. Doctor. Dawson moved to allow them access to their friend but took Casey's very cold, clammy hand in hers.

"What happened?" the nurse who was checking Casey's  
pulse asked.

"I… I am not sure… he was one of the firefighters at the same  
accident earlier as my husband, out on the cliffs…" Caitlyn began.

Dawson interrupted her "Possible internal injuries, moderate head trauma. He was hit and pinned by the fire trucks boom ladder approx 30mins ago, at the accident site, refused medical assistance. No loss of consciousness at scene or before now."

"Ok, lets get him into Trauma two!" the second nurse yelled  
to the two men who had just arrived with a stretcher.

Dawson released her hold of Casey's hand as they positioned him onto the stretcher and whisked him down the hall. Standing and looking over at a bewildered Caitlyn they both heard a familiar voice booming down the hall towards them.

"Caitlyn! Dawson! What's happened to Casey?" Chief Boden  
shouted out to them as he approached.

Not sure chief" Dawson piped up, "I think that dust up with the truck ladder did some damage. Gonna stick with him and find out." And after briefly squeezing Caitlyn's hand Dawson followed after Casey.


End file.
